Publication

This book offers case studies on how geopolitical interests of different countries impact democratization in the Middle East. The countries discussed include six regional powers (Egypt, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey) as well as seven influential external actors (China, the European Union, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The authors argue that the regional considerations of most countries inside and outside the Middle East revolve around security, stability and economic interests rather than around democracy and reform, an approach that has contributed to both sustaining autocratic regimes and increasing instability across the region.